OSLO, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Security measures at the In Amenasgas plant in Algeria were not designed to withstand a largescale militant attack and its operators, Statoil and BP may have relied too heavily on Algerian authorities, aStatoil investigation concluded.
"Neither Statoil nor the joint venture could have preventedthe attack, but there is reason to question the extent of theirreliance on Algerian military protection," the firm's owninvestigation concluded. "Neither of them conceived of ascenario where a large force of armed attackers reached thefacility."
Islamist militants attacked a natural gas facility near InAmenas deep in the Sahara Desert in January, taking foreignworkers hostages in a four day siege that ended only whenAlgerian forces stormed the plant.
Some 40 hostages, including five Norwegians, and 29 rebelswere killed during the attack and the ensuing assault byAlgerian forces, about 50 kilometres from the town of In Amenas,near the Libyan border.
BP (BP.)
